The Story
When the evidence lies.
Two detectives interrogate Mike Wagner over a violent murder — the prime suspect, motive established, opportunity confirmed. The case should be closed.
But the DNA doesn't match.
In a climate of growing mistrust in Queensland forensic laboratories, Detectives Daniel Bouric and Elise Watts find themselves racing against institutional pressure and a manipulative suspect who always seems one step ahead — until the truth emerges: Mike has an identical twin, and they swapped places to create a perfect alibi.
This Australian short film explores the fragility of forensic certainty, the psychology of interrogation, and what happens when the system is designed to close cases rather than find truth.
The World
Queensland Crime Filmmaking.
Filmed in Queensland and set against the backdrop of Australia's forensic science crisis, Onus Probandi draws on real controversies around DNA evidence integrity, laboratory protocols, and the institutional incentives that shape criminal justice outcomes in the Australian legal system.
The short establishes the visual language, tonal register, and character archetypes that will carry into Yield — a six-part limited series expanding this world across a fourteen-year wrongful conviction narrative.
Tonal references: Mindhunter, True Detective, Unbelievable.
Production Stills
On Set
Proof of Concept for Yield
Onus Probandi was developed and produced specifically as a proof of concept for the Yield limited series — demonstrating the visual tone, performance register, and narrative world to broadcasters and funding agencies. The short establishes the interrogation-room claustrophobia and forensic procedural tension that will define the six-part series.
Festival Circuit
Submissions & Screenings
Production Company